Diana Puhak, 36, developed a passion for public health while working as an office assistant for the Alaska State Virology Laboratory. Knowing it was her calling, she began taking classes, helping in the lab, and joining committees to broaden her experience. As a long-time resident of Alaska, she is deeply invested in the complex challenges that affect public health in the state, citing everything from food insecurity to healthcare shortages impacting individuals in hard-to-reach villages. During the pandemic, she acted as lead lab technician and biosafety officer while balancing her education and raising her two kids. With her degree, she obtained a role as an infection preventionist at a local hospital and says her public health degree was instrumental in securing the position.
Diana Puhak ’22
